“This is a dream come true. It’s an opportunity to become a better professional, to strengthen my communication and educational skills, to learn how to resolve conflicts, and to absorb everything we’ll be taught. I hope to connect with many people and return with plenty of ideas to bring my future projects to life,” says Crysthel Hernández, a Graphic Design student at Universidad Santo Tomás in Puerto Montt. She will be attending the program alongside three other students from the region, at one of the world’s leading institutions in entrepreneurship education.
After standing out in the course “Entrepreneurship as a Life Skill”, held in 2024 by Fundación Luksic in collaboration with Babson College in Chile, this group of four students from the Los Lagos Region was awarded scholarships to attend Babson Build, an entrepreneurial immersion program currently taking place this week in Boston, Massachusetts.
The students are:
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Gloria Mansilla Bustamante, a Massage Therapy student at Instituto Profesional AIEP in Puerto Montt
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Marilyn Moris, studying Business Administration at CFT Estatal de Los Lagos
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Matías Gangas, in his final year of Computer Engineering at Duoc UC in Puerto Montt
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Crysthel Hernández, originally from the town of Fresia
“I’m going on this trip with very clear goals: to keep learning, to strengthen my leadership skills, and to find support to develop purpose-driven business ideas that make a positive impact on people and promote inclusion,” explains Matías Gangas, Computer Engineering student at Duoc UC, who also served as student councilor for the School of Informatics and Telecommunications (2023–2024) and for the Puerto Montt campus (2024).
For her part, Gloria shares that during her studies, she has gained solid knowledge in holistic therapy, communication, and entrepreneurship — areas she has applied both academically and personally. “Currently, I’m involved in two wellness and health-related initiatives. One is a legally registered massage company I run with my business partner, Lorena Romero. The other is a growing personal project focused on offering holistic massage services with a tourism-oriented approach, blending relaxation techniques with the promotion of southern Chile’s natural and cultural landscapes,” says Gloria, who continues to grow professionally with enthusiasm and commitment, contributing to people’s well-being and investing in purpose-driven local entrepreneurship.
The course held last year, which combined five weeks of virtual classes with two in-person sessions and included around 40 students, aimed to provide tools to adopt an entrepreneurial mindset, manage failure, and develop essential life skills such as resilience and adaptability — not just for those who dream of launching a business, but for life in general.
“We firmly believe that programs like these — with such experienced partners — support students not only in their academic and professional development, but also personally. We believe in Gloria, Matías, Crysthel, and Marilyn’s talents and potential, and we hope they return not only with new knowledge but also new motivation for their futures,” said Trinidad García, Director of International Education at Fundación Luksic.
During the five-day program, the students will participate in sessions on topics such as opportunity analysis and market testing, design thinking, entrepreneurial leadership, business models, Rocket Pitch competitions, finance, and marketing, among others.
